1. Technical Field
This disclosure generally relates to wastewater monitoring, and more specifically relates to monitoring levels of wastewater in a pipe.
2. Background Art
Many different systems have been developed over the years for monitoring or inspecting the interior of a pipe. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,087,311 issued on Jan. 3, 2012 to Stephen A. Merlot discloses a system that includes multiple cameras attached to an interior surface of a pipe that are connected to a data communication network so the data from the camera may be transmitted over the data communication network. A computing device in a remote location receives the data transmitted over the data communication network by the cameras.
The system disclosed in the Merlo patent referenced above requires communication between the imaging devices to a network and then to a computing device. Wireless communication in a sewer system may be difficult, because concrete and steel are often effective shields to wireless communication. Cabled communication is not a good option due to the hostile environment conditions in a wastewater pipe, and due to the expense of installing and maintaining such cables. As a result, the Merlo system is not an ideal solution in many applications. What is needed is a system and method for monitoring levels in a wastewater pipe that is inexpensive and does not require sophisticated cabling or wireless communication.